


A Midsummer Christmas

by quietinthelibrary



Category: Free!
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-12-25
Updated: 2014-12-25
Packaged: 2018-03-03 05:47:46
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,270
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2840249
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/quietinthelibrary/pseuds/quietinthelibrary
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Haruka spends Christmas with Rin, in Australia.</p>
            </blockquote>





	A Midsummer Christmas

**Author's Note:**

  * For [](https://archiveofourown.org/gifts).



> for the prompt "Haru going over to Australia for Xmas with Rin"

Four more hours to go. Four more hours and then he would be able to be in Rin’s presence again, after months of sustaining themselves on Skype calls and texts, and Haruka could hardly wait. A sense of anticipation, which had only been building from the moment he stepped on the plane—no, from the moment Rin had asked if he’d wanted to come see what an Australian Christmas was like (Russell and Lori were more than happy to see him again)—seemed ready to bubble over inside of him, somewhere inside his chest.

Normally, Rin would have gone back to Japan for Christmas, and spend it with his friends and family back home, but as this was the last Christmas he was spending in Australia, and because Russell and Lori were his family too, he had decided that one Christmas in Australia would be okay. (His mom and Gou had understood, and unlike the last time he’d wanted to stay away from family, this time he was keeping up full communications with everyone back home.)

Haruka had always thought that he was a rather patient person, but the wait before his plane reached Sydney felt excruciating—they were practically halfway there, but it still felt like it would be ages before he could reunite with his boyfriend.

(It was completely different from when he waited for about a year before he saw Rin at the train tracks, and then about four more years after that, but Haruka supposed that it was due to the anticipation pumping through him, which he hadn't really had in those times.)

Sighing, Haruka decided to watch another movie to while the time away. He hated trying to sleep on planes, usually unable to get comfortable enough to sleep very soundly, so he was grateful to have found a flight that left in the morning. He would see Rin in the evening.

 

* * *

 

After he got his bearings (and he remembered to say “sightseeing” when customs asked him about the “purpose of his visit,”), Haruka texted Rin that he was here and then looked around, taking in the somewhat familiar sight from the first time he came here, with Rin, and scanned the crowd for a telltale sign of red hair.

Haruka spun slowly on the spot, hoping he had gone to the right spot (Rin had told him to wait at the central meeting point near the information counter, after all), before he saw something like a red blur race toward him out of the corner of his eye, and he was tackled—or so it felt—with arms reaching around him and lifting him up off the ground in the hugger’s enthusiasm. (Of course, there was only one person it could be.)

“Rin! Put me down.”

The only response he got was to be squeezed a tad harder, letting him feel the bump of Rin’s nose into his ribcage, Rin’s laugh vibrating against his ~~heart~~ chest.

Haruka put his hands on Rin’s shoulders, and said, “Rin, put me down. I want to see you properly.”

And Rin finally relented, obligingly lowering Haruka back to the ground; Haruka immediately took in Rin’s appearance, drinking in his presence after what felt like a long time of just seeing him through a screen.

Rin seemed to be doing the same, and as Haruka watched, his face split into a wide grin, spreading from ear to ear. His smile was infectious, and Haruka couldn’t help a smile from gracing his own face as if in call and response.

“I missed you, Haru.”

“I missed you too, Rin.”

Grinning, Rin gave Haruka a quick peck on the lips before pulling back, saying, “And there’s more where that came from later,” and chuckling lightly.

Trying to keep a smile off his face, Haruka narrowed his eyes, scoffing slightly, and promised himself that he would be able to sneak a kiss back in return, not willing to let Rin one-up him like that. Later, though. And preferably somewhere less public: Haruka had never been one for overwhelmingly large amounts of PDA.

Haruka readjusted the straps of his backpack on his shoulders, and asked, “Rin, where am I staying?”

Rin picked up Haruka’s modest travel bag—not like Haruka needed help with that, but Haruka felt like Rin might fuss over this small detail if he told him not to, so he didn’t say anything—and said, “Russell and Lori invited us to stay with them for Christmas, and then we’re going to stay in the same hotel as last time. Don’t want to overstay our welcome, after all.”

“Okay. And did you actually check with the hotel so they don’t mistake your girly name—“

Rin cut in, “ _Your_ name’s the girly one. Last time it was just a mix-up, anyway… and…” Rin sheepishly rubbed his hand on the back of his neck. “It’s not like you’d complain about sharing a bed now, right?”

He thought for a moment. “No, I guess not. So where are we going right now?”

“Well, I was thinking we could go get you settled in at their place, unless you want to go somewhere else first? Like to see the ocean again?”

“Hm. I’d like to go get settled in first, I think. We’ll have time to go later, right?”

“We will,” Rin replied, flashing a toothy grin that Haruka relished, getting to see it not in grainy webcam quality, and knowing that it was probably wider than usual because of Rin’s happiness at seeing him as well.

When they stepped outside the airport, the remaining heat from the day still hung in the air, and Haruka said, “It feels weird to be somewhere so hot in December.”

“Yeah, it took me a while to get used to it too, even if I would go home for Christmas and for Gou’s birthday. But just you wait, I’ll show you a Christmas you’ve never seen before, Haru!”

They headed toward the bus station, Rin chattering about his training and the times he’s been setting as they went; they exchanged their usual challenges to the other, in a mutual relationship to make the other want to get better and better, and see the other do the same, and before Haruka knew it, they were already at Russell and Lori’s house.

 

* * *

 

They had greeted each other—Lori giving Rin a warm hug, and doing the same with Haruka before he could even blink, while Russell gave him a pat on the back—and they welcomed them in, with sweeping arm gestures and warm smiles.

Though Haruka’s English wasn’t the best, they spoke clearly enough for Haruka to understand, using body language and gestures to assist further (and if Haruka really didn’t understand, Rin would translate for him, anyway); he would share a room with Rin, and the room was apparently Rin’s old room when he was younger.

Based on Rin’s flustered reaction to something Lori said, smilingly, and that Russell was chuckling about, Haruka guessed that Lori had another story about Rin’s childhood there—he had caught the words “remember” and “younger” before Rin started speaking too fast and over Lori’s words. Next time, Haruka thought to himself, he’ll brush up on his English—it’ll help in communication, and in hearing Russell and Lori’s stories about Rin.

Either way, Haruka got his things sorted, and then joined them in the sitting room.

They were all conversing in English, and as Haruka sat down next to Rin he caught that they were discussing “swimming” and how that was going. Rin was talking about his training, it seemed, and Haruka had heard from Rin in a language he understood better earlier anyway, so he looked around the room for the time being.

He hadn’t paid much attention to it when he had been directed to the bedroom he’d be sleeping in, but looking at it now, he realized that it was different from the last time he’d seen it. There were several decorative items around the room, from a small tree with red flowers in full bloom, to what Haruka thought was like the “ordinary” Christmas tree, along with strewn lines of twinkling Christmas lights along the staircase and around the walls. It all added to the cozy feel of their home, which only suited the occupants’ hospitality.

Rin’s words broke through his thoughts. “Haru. How’s your training like back in Japan?”

Haruka turned back and looked at Rin, who tilted his head to the side to point out how Russell and Lori were now watching him attentively.

“Rin, you know my English isn’t fluent enough for me to say much....”

“So that’s why I’ll translate for you! Just say a few things at a time, so I have time to translate.”

And so Haruka related his training in Japan by chunks, pausing for Rin to translate, watching Russell and Lori nod in understanding and occasionally ask questions for clarification. Time seemed to pass quickly, and after that, they retired for bed, Russell and Lori to their bedroom and Haruka and Rin to theirs.

 

* * *

 

Rin was pressed up against Haruka’s back, arm draped loosely over him, breaths slowly starting to even out against his neck. They’d probably had options for their sleeping arrangements, but Haruka couldn’t begrudge his more physical boyfriend something like this after months of not being able to touch each other. Besides, there was something about this that felt comforting, and Haruka soon felt lulled to sleep as well.

 

* * *

 

Haruka woke to an empty bed and Rin's face much too close to his for the morning.

"Hey, get up already. It's morning."

He was tempted to just turn over and ask for five more minutes, but even the two hour time difference shouldn’t be an excuse—he’d actually fallen asleep earlier and had enough hours of sleep—and Rin wouldn’t accept it, anyway. (He’d tried. Rin would mutter something about it being boring while Haruka was asleep, trying to keep that low enough for Haruka to not quite catch, before saying that he would leave him behind if he didn’t get up.) Haruka sat up, rubbing his eyes groggily.

“What time is it?”

“It’s 8:37, sleepyhead. I’ve been up for an hour already.”

Shaking the sleep off his limbs, Haruka slid out of bed and into a change of clothes for the day, and then went to go brush his teeth. When he came back, Rin was sitting on the bed, checking his phone for something, and Haruka bent down and brought his face closer to Rin’s. He waited for Rin to look up before quickly bringing his lips to Rin’s, briefly.

“Wh-what was that for, Haru?”

Haruka, delighted by the blush on Rin’s cheeks, gave a small smile before replying, “Because I felt like it.”

Rin _tsk_ ed and stood up, before pulling Haruka into a kiss himself. Haruka tilted his head, vaguely aware of Rin doing the same so their noses wouldn’t collide awkwardly, and when Rin’s lips parted so he could run his tongue along Haruka’s lips, Haruka felt a shiver run up his spine.

Before they could deepen the kiss, however, the two heard Lori’s voice calling for them, and they broke apart.

“Lori just told us we could get breakfast downstairs,” Rin breathed.

Haruka pecked Rin on the lips again, before saying, “Let’s go, then.”

 

* * *

 

Over breakfast, Rin asked Haruka if he'd like to go to the beach today, with Winnie.   

“Is it okay? To bring Winnie with us?”

“Yeah, I used to go down with Winnie all the time. She likes it there, and she’s taken a liking to you, so Winnie’ll enjoy herself too.”

“Okay, then.”

Rin flashed him a smile. “Great! I’ll just go tell Russell and Lori, then; go get ready! We’ll swim in the ocean this time, Haru!”

Haruka gathered all their dishes and placed them in the sink, before gathering what he needed into a small backpack, while he heard Rin talking with Russell and Lori in the next room. Soon, he heard Rin bounding downstairs with his own bag, and Winnie’s leash in hand.

 

* * *

 

The beach wasn’t too crowded yet, so it wasn’t hard for them to claim a spot in the sand, where Haruka applied sunblock to his face and back (and asked Rin to cover the parts he couldn’t quite reach satisfactorily). Rin used the spray-on type of sunblock for himself, before he knelt down and unfastened Winnie from her leash. Winnie bounded off, tail waggling, and circled around a few times before running back to them.

“Come on, Haru! Let’s go in the water, this time!” Rin said, hand out in invitation for Haruka to take. When he did, Rin pulled Haruka with him to the ocean waves, letting it crash against their feet and ankles as Winnie splashed around them, panting happily.

If there was one nice thing about it being warm in December, Haruka thought, it would be this—being able to swim in the ocean to his heart’s content.

They’d played with Winnie and splashed around for that morning, as the beach slowly filled with more and more people, until about noon. It turned out that Rin had prepared some lunch bentos for them while Haruka was still asleep, so they had that for lunch (while Winnie had some dog food, of course). After that, in resting an hour before getting into the water again, they laid next to each other and talked, talked about what’s been going on while Rin was away, talked about what the other beachgoers were doing, just talked about whatever came to mind to pass the time.

After reapplying sunblock again, they went back to the water, Winnie running around their feet; they’d had one good race in the ocean, though they couldn’t really judge who had “won” in their impromptu race, before they went back to playing with Winnie again, playing fetch with a Frisbee.

But before Haruka knew it, the sun was starting to set, reminding him of the last time they had been here, and Rin said that it was about time for them to head back.

So they gathered up their things, and Rin refastened Winnie to her leash and quickly pecked Haruka on the lips before getting the rest of their things.

“That was for this morning.”

“Idiot.”

 

* * *

 

When they got back, dinner was just about ready for them after a quick shower, and just like that, another day passed in a flash; tomorrow would be Christmas Eve, and soon it would be time to part ways again.

Haruka tried not to think about that, though, and reached for the salad. It was too soon to start thinking of when they had to leave again.

 

* * *

 

For Christmas Eve, they’d stayed in for the morning, watching some of the Christmas programs airing on TV. Rin had insisted that Haruka watch a few, since it wouldn’t be an Australian Christmas without it, though Haruka felt that seeing as he was actually _in_ Australia, and it was markedly different from Christmas back home, it was unnecessary to have to watch these elves dance around and sing Christmas songs for it to feel like an Australian Christmas. Besides, Haruka only understood about half of the dialogue (though a children’s cartoon was much simpler to understand), which would probably be another strike against Rin’s argument had Haruka voiced it aloud.

However, he couldn’t really get worked up over something like this, not when Rin was cuddling with him on the couch, hand in his, in the air conditioned room. Winnie was lying on both their laps, head on Haruka’s left leg, and Haruka stroked Winnie idly while the films went on.

That evening, Rin took him out to a park nearby, brilliantly lit by the Christmas lights and decorations, and they bought some kebabs to eat as they walked. (Later, they shared a chocolate ice cream—chocolate because it was probably the least sweet flavor, for Rin—and a few kisses, as the sky grew darker and the stars shone brighter, before they headed back.)

 

* * *

 

When they got back, it seemed as if Russell and Lori had already turned in—perhaps to be ready for Christmas day, or because they would play the role of “Santa Claus” and leave presents while they were asleep—so Rin and Haruka headed for bed as well. Haruka wondered if he should leave his present for Rin underneath the Christmas tree after all, but decided he could just give it to him himself when they were opening gifts.

Rin seemed really excited for tomorrow, humming to himself as he prepared for bed next to Haruka, and it was with slight bemusement that Haruka kissed Rin good night, before settling in to sleep. 

 

* * *

 

"Haru! Wake up! You've got presents!"

Rin seemed to have repeated this to him several times before the words finally registered in Haruka's brain, and he remembered that it was Christmas day. He sat up, and a pajama-clad Rin immediately pulled him up and out of bed to start pulling him downstairs.

“Wait, Rin! I need to get something, first.”

“Fine, but hurry up, Haru!” said Rin, releasing Haruka from his grip.

As Rin ran back downstairs, Haruka quickly went to get his present for Rin, along with the drawing of the view from the beach he did for Russell and Lori, and headed downstairs as well.

Haruka was greeted with a “Merry Christmas, Haru!” on all three fronts, and as he put his presents under the tree he said, “Merry Christmas,” in return.

Lori said something about “gifts” that Russell seemed to echo, and Haruka looked to Rin for a translation: “They said to go ahead and open your presents, Haru.” Haruka peered at the presents under the tree and found the ones addressed to him, and pulled those toward him as Rin found his own.

Haruka unwrapped the largest one first, which contained several nice sketchbooks, a number of new pens and pencils, and a number of Christmas-themed socks. Russell seems to have said that the socks were something he thought he might like, since he was in university and all, and Lori said that the art supplies were because Rin had said that Haruka could draw. Touched, Haruka uttered his thanks, before reaching for the picture he’d drawn for Russell and Lori to hand it to them in return.

They both engulfed him in a hug, and said something about how nice it was, and how they’d frame it and hang it up on their wall, while Haruka nodded and smiled, not confident in his ability to vocalize his thoughts in English. (But it seemed as if they got the gist of it, anyway.)

Just as Haruka turned back to his other, unwrapped present, he was engulfed in another hug, from Rin this time, who seemed to take it upon himself to crush Haruka against himself as hard as he can. 

“I take it you like my present?” Haruka managed to say, patting Rin’s back.

“I love it, Haru,” Rin said, voice breaking slightly—Haruka wouldn’t have caught that if not for Rin’s mouth being right next to his ear.

(Rin, being the sentimentalist romantic he is, _would_ appreciate something like several hand-drawn pictures of Rin and his friends, along with several drawings of favorite memories Haruka had of just the two of them. Haruka pressed a smile into Rin’s shoulder, relieved that his present was a good idea.)

After Rin had finally let Haruka go, he was able to open his last present, from Rin. It was a photo album (and actually more of a joint gift between him and Gou) with several new photos of everyone after high school, along with what Haruka recognized to be a limited edition Loosejaw-kun hat he didn’t already have.

Haruka pulled Rin into a hug as well, returning the favor; he whispered his thanks into Rin’s ear for his gift as well, and Rin replied that it was no big deal.

 

* * *

 

That evening, Russell and Lori had pulled out all the stops in preparing an extravagant Christmas dinner, but it was when Lori brought out a dark, purplish lump that was apparently on fire that Haruka felt truly shocked by Australian Christmas festivities.

“Rin, why is that on fire?”

“Oh, it’s called ‘flaming plum pudding.’ It’s really more like a cake, but the English have funny ways of naming things. You’ll probably like it, it’s got plenty of moisture for you.”

Dubious, Haruka looked at the slice that was set before him, but the bit that he put in his mouth was… interesting, but not bad at all. And it _was_ as moist as Rin described.

There were also these things called “Christmas crackers,” which weren’t really crackers, but these prizes wrapped in shiny paper that—when pulled apart—would give off something like a mix between a crack and a popping sound. Inside, there was a paper crown to unfold and wear, as Rin put a red crown unceremoniously on his head, along with some small trinket (Haruka got a whistle, while Rin got a top) and a joke. Rin tried to explain the jokes to him, but most of them fell short when translated into Japanese, as they seemed to have used English puns.

Rin, wearing a blue crown, pulled Haruka into a selfie to send back home, to Gou and the rest of them, to wish them a Merry Christmas as well. 

 

* * *

 

Tonight was their last night at Russell and Lori’s place, Haruka thought. It felt as though the time had really flown by while they were there—was it really three days already? Already Haruka knew he would miss their friendliness and hospitality, and nothing could quite replace Winnie’s presence, or the comfort of a home-cooked meal, even if he’d been the one preparing them for the most of his life.

Still, that didn’t stop Rin from falling asleep behind him, and Haruka knew he ought to do the same, so he closed his eyes and tried to fall asleep to the steady cadence of Rin’s deep breaths.

 

* * *

 

That morning, they prepared to go to the hotel, where they'd stay for the rest of the time Haruka was in Australia. 

They all gave their goodbyes, Russell and Lori pulling them into hugs as they thanked them for coming, and that they wished them well and hoped to see them again—both in person and on TV for the Olympics—and giving Winnie one last pat on the head before Haruka and Rin departed.

 

* * *

 

When they got to the hotel, Haruka probably would have laughed if they had ended up with two beds in another mix-up, but as it turned out, they had one bed again. Haruka wondered briefly about how the booking worked in Australia, but that thought was soon pushed out of his head when—right after they got more or less settled in—Rin pulled Haruka into a kiss.

Instinctively, Haruka closed his eyes and leant into the kiss, and this time, when Rin’s tongue ran along the crease of his lips, as if asking for entrance into his mouth, no one interrupted them.

They eventually broke apart, and after catching his breath, Rin asked Haruka if he’d like to go to the Olympic pool again. Haruka nodded in response, so they got what they needed and headed to the train station.

 

* * *

 

It was as if in a whole new light that Haruka took in the sights from the train trips there, and the inside of the aquatic centre with its grand, amazing pool, now that he was already sure and set on his path to the Olympics. 

It was with sure steps that Haruka stepped toward the professional pool as well, this time with no hesitation, this time not after Rin prompted him and asked him about what _he_ wanted to do, and without further ado, the two of them raced 100 meters free.

Haruka won by a hair the first time around, while Rin won the second; many times after that, it was too close for them to tell just by themselves, but they continued to swim anyway. Now, the creeping knowledge that he would have to leave soon started to press in on him, but Haruka pushed those thoughts away and kept swimming, feeling the water carry him and work with him through the path he created through the water. 

 

* * *

 

When they left the aquatic centre, the sun was already starting to set. They got dinner from a street vendor—another Australian “pie,” a meat pie—before heading back to the hotel again. Instead of going straight to their room, however, they headed toward the rooftop patio before turning in for the night, just to admire the view, and how most (if not all) the Christmas lights were still up and twinkling in storefronts and in the streets.

“Hey, Haru.”

Haruka looked over at Rin, who was still looking out at the view.

“Did you… did you enjoy yourself? This Christmas.”

Rin kept his eyes on the distance, so Haruka reached over and linked their hands together, tightening his grip until Rin looked over.

“You showed me a Christmas I’d never seen before, Rin. Thank you.”

In response, Rin squeezed back, clearly relieved that Haruka had enjoyed himself, as a smile grew on his face.

“Thanks for listening to my selfish request and coming all the way here for Christmas, Haru.”

Haruka leaned in and kissed Rin on the cheek in response, with a smile pulling at his lips as he said, “Let’s go back inside.”

 

**Author's Note:**

> (can you tell i didn't know how to end this? either way, i hope you liked this! uou
> 
> i apologize for any errors i've made in presenting Australia or Australian Christmas traditions. :s i did the best i could with google, but yeah orz
> 
> anyway, Merry Christmas // Happy Holidays~ uvu)


End file.
